Just an update on climbing maybe becoming an Olympic sport - Dame Kelly Holmes, double gold medalist has given her support to the bid. Saying “The proposed triathlon format for Sport Climbing’s bid for the 2020 Olympic Games sounds like a great concept. I know climbing is very popular with young people and the format fits perfectly with the Olympic motto of Faster, Higher and Stronger. “I know the case for inclusion in the Olympic Games is becoming tougher all the time, it could go down to the wire when the final choice is made by the IOC in September. Hopefully the general public will see that Sport Climbing has a big future ahead.”

We will continue to keep you up to date with climbing's bid on becoming an Olympic sport as it (hopefully) gains yet more support.

Speed climbing, lead climbing and bouldering are all sports that are being considered for Olympic status in 2020. This announcement came on the 9th March by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) after a group of International Olympic Committee (IOC) representatives visited the 2012 world climbing championships in Paris where lead, speed and bouldering competitions took place. This format will be championed by the IFSC gives its presentation to the IOC Executive board in May, along with seven other sports bidding to be included in the 2020 Olympics. The shortlist will then be narrowed down to 3 sports and the IOC's final decision should be announced by September.

Our climate is getting more extreme and you have to look no further than the UK last year: the wettest drought on record aswell as various other climate extremes across the globe. So, when we received an email about an info-graphic that has recently been produced to highlight these problems we thought it fit that we share it. You can take a look below: some of the facts are very shocking (its quite big: so you'll have to click read more if you haven't already!).

Now I know that Everest is not in the UK: in fact its on the other side of the globe but when I saw this gigapixel image of it I thought that it couldn't be missed. It was taken by the non-profit organisation GlacierWorks in Spring 2012. It is in such a high quality that you can zoom in from seeing the whole mountain and surrounding mountains right into base camp and see people without the image being pixelated take a look by clicking HERE (you won't regret it: and even the slowest computer should be able to run it)!

You may remember back in July there was a fatal avalanche in the Alps. Today we heard the news that 9 climbers where killed and 6 more are missing in an Avalanche on the worlds 8 highest peak: Mount Manaslu. The dead are said to mainly consist of French but there seems to be confusion as to whether 6 or 4 climbers are missing; hopefully its the latter. Fortunately another 5 climbers survived and where later taken to hospital.

Exploring legend: Sir Ranulph Fiennes plans to cross Antarctica in pitch black -70°C winter conditions. If he succeeds he and his team will become the first people to cross Antarctica in winter conditions: albeit aided by bulldozers...

After the avalanche on Thursday that killed 9 climbers and left 4 more missing the search continued for the missing. When, at 7pm that night, the 4 missing climbers turned up in Chamonix, unharmed, as they had changed their route at the last minute and ended up on a different section of the mountain. A lucky escape from the wall of ice and snow that killed 9 and injured 9.

Earlier today a group of 28 climbers (roped into two groups) got hit by an avalanche on a long glaciated slope on Mont Maudit. The route they were attempting is one of the most popular but equally dangerous (often considered one of the most dangerous climbs in the world). Nine died (three of which are British, two Swiss, two Spanish and two German) and nine more were injured and flown to hospital. The tragedy is one of the worst since 2008 (when 8 climbers died in similar circumstances). Four more people are still missing (two are British) after a search had to be stopped due to bad conditions. It is expected to be continued tomorrow when it is thought that the bodies of the four other climbers will be found. However, they could have easily been ahead of the rest of the group and as a result not under the avalanche.

We wish the injured a safe and speedy recovery and our thoughts are of course with the families of the dead.